Hearne: Star Comes Clean to News Staff That Features Head is O-U-T

So it is that shortly after KC Confidential broke the news about yearling features head honcho Laurie Mansfield being SoCal bound, Star editors decided to level with the newsroom.

“They rushed out an announcement after you posted your story,” says one newsie. “Guess you made it ‘sadly official.’ ”

For what it’s worth, here’s the company line:

“You may have already heard. But it’s now sadly official: Laurie Mansfield, Features editor and Ink founder, is leaving The Star.

Laurie and her family are bound for Southern California, home base for Bill’s job at Fox Sports. Timing is somewhat up in the air. But it appears Laurie will stay on in her current role until early July.

We are all going to miss her and everything she has meant to this paper since she arrived in 2007. Her creativity, work ethic and journalism bona-fides have made our print and digital products better in so many ways.

She will be difficult to replace. But replace her, we will. We will be posting the job soon and are considering candidates from inside and outside the building. For now, we just wanted everyone to wish Laurie the best — and to thank her for all she has meant to the paper, our readers and our staff.”

There you have it…except for one thing.

Next time you editor guys need to rush something out, remember, readers aren’t mindreaders. It would have been nice to know who “Bill” was. And that he had a different last name but is married to the mob, I mean, Mansfield.

Mr. Rose,
I now have to pay to see the 913 because it appears it is now under the Star’s website. The annoying popup which asks me for money is not happening today, but if I click out of it, it takes me back to the main page where this keeps occuring. I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am. Which means: this is H O R R I B L E!
I would have liked to continue to read your commentary.
[kicks chair – pouts]